


Terrarium terror?

by RussianSunflower3



Series: Inktober 2017 [21]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Day 21, Fingerprints, Gen, Inktober 2017, Tiny human!!!, UshiTen if you squint - Freeform, and tilt your head sideways, terrarium
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-20 13:51:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12434196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RussianSunflower3/pseuds/RussianSunflower3
Summary: When Ushijima purchases a cheap, half-dead terrarium that he felt inexplicably drawn to, he didn't expect to find anything extraordinary.Not like fingerprint on the inside of the glass.Tendou insists that it must be a curse, but Ushijima is sure that with a little Tender Loving Care, the terrarium will reveal its secrets.





	Terrarium terror?

When Ushijima had seen the small, spherical terrarium on the back shelf at a gardening store, he knew he _had_ to have it. There wasn’t anything extraordinary about it - in fact, it was _nothing_ special - but Ushijima felt drawn to it all the same.

He could have picked many of the other terrariums, from large bottle shapes to gold-embellished geometric stars, or even one shaped like a figure of eight, but it was this small, plain terrarium that caught his eye. 

All the plants in it were common, and a little shabby, possibly not well-cared for at the back of the shelf. The glass of the terrarium itself was stained and dirty, and the only decoration was a chipped pot on its side, but it was…

Charming. It held a certain level of loveliness about it that had Ushijima gently move aside the others to pluck it off the shelf, holding it close for a minute before putting it in his trolley. He liked that it was roughly volleyball sized. Tendou would obviously tease him for that later.

When he purchased it, alongside a few items he could use in his dorm room and the student gardens, he blinked at the price. 

It was so _cheap_. He hesitated handing his money over, glancing at the terrarium once more before looking at the young girl on the checkouts.

 

“Excuse me, are you sure that is the correct price for the terrarium? The others were reasonably expensive.” Flustering, the cashier checks it again, even comparing it with written prices on a sheet.

 

“Y-Yes, it’s correct… It’s probably because it’s been here so long… And it’s a little dirty…It’s half-dead, anyways. ” That’s true, he thinks, looking at the grubby glass and wilting plants. He pays without complaint, knowing he can bring it back to life. 

Ushijima’s father picks him up, taking a moment to dash inside for a cuppa whilst he loads up the boot of the car, careful to nestle the terrarium amongst other things so it won’t fall over. He clutches the corner of his shirt and tries to gently rub it down, removing a couple of dirty splotches.

But… Some of them won’t budge. They might need a special cleaning cloth or polish. Once his father returns, Ushijima settles into the front seat and makes light conversation on the way back to the Shiratorizawa dorms. Mostly, they talk volleyball, but Ushijima-san is also concerned about his son's wellbeing, of course.

 

“Thank you for the lift.”

 

“No problem~. Anytime, Wakatoshi!” He nods in thanks with a small smile and collects his items from the boot, carrying them carefully to his dorm room. He doesn’t have hands to knock with, so instead taps his toe against it and hopes Tendou hears it.

 

“Wakatoshiiiiii!” He rolls his eyes in amusement at the screech behind the door, before it opens and Tendou skids into view, oversized hoodie and a pair of loose trousers. His grin moulds into a playful pout as he leans in and squints at the terrarium. 

 

“Whatcha got there?”

 

“A few plants.”

 

“Well, yeah, I can see that, but _why_?” Ushijima steps into their dorm room, placing everything safely on the flat surface of their study table before he starts moving little potted plants to the shelves and windowsills.

 

“I saw it advertised in your magazine that various plant life could reduce stress amongst students. So, I asked father to take me to Midori Nursery to purchase some. I thought it would help with upcoming exams.” He catches Tendou’s stare, one eyebrow raised as if questioning him.

 

“... What?”

 

“Seriously, ‘Toshi, you must be the only person in all of Miyagi who pays attention to adverts.” Ushijima huffs, shrugging his shoulders almost unnoticeably as he places a small succulent in the bathroom, next to the mirror.

 

“Whether it’s beneficial or not, I would like to have some plants around. They’re relaxing.” Scratching the back of his head, Tendou sighs and gives in.

 

“Alright, alright, but are ya gonna keep this dirty, dead thing on our study table?” He points at the terrarium. Ushijima’s brow furrows, his lips pointedly in a frown. He scoops it up, almost protectively, and moves it to his bedside table.

 

“It is not dirty or dead. It just needs a little care.”

 

“I’ll leave ya to it then~.” Tendou flutters back into his own bedroom area, picking up a magazine he must have been halfway through reading before Ushijima knocked. Ushijima’s gaze returns to his terrarium. He grabs the volleyball that’s usually next to his pillow and holds it next to it, amused to see they’re _exactly_ the same size.

 

“I wonder if that is why I was so drawn to you…” Humming under his breath, he places the volleyball back besides his pillow, before reaching into the bedside table to grab a small duster cloth and a rubbing alcohol solution he’d mixed previously.

Dutifully, he holds the top of the terrarium with one hand, the other squeaking over every little smudge on the glass. It’s only after going round the whole thing that he realises there are still marks…

 

“... Why won’t you…?” He trails off, putting some elbow grease into it, but the stains _still_ won’t budge. It’s only after breathing air over it to steam it up that he realises the mark is on the _inside_.

Curiously, and slightly confused as to how it got there, Ushijima runs the cloth around the inside, until the glass is so clean that it could be considered a reflective surface. Self-satisfied - and honestly exhausted after a full day of school, practice, studying, and then shopping - Ushijima admires the terrarium once more before he grabs his pyjamas to change in the bathroom.

He fills up a water spray bottle, and goes around the entirety of the room, spraying droplets over them and misting them. 

He pauses next to Tendou’s bed.  
He sprays the bottle in Tendou’s face.  
As Tendou shrieks and wipes at his face, chucking his magazine aside, Ushijima laughs and returns to his own side of the dorm, before Tendou can retaliate.

 

“Wakatoshi, you bastard!”

 

“It was the only way I could tear you away from your manga~.” Clearing his throat, he puts on a serious face, although his eyes still twinkle with mischief. 

 

“Bedtime. We have early practice tomorrow.” Tendou groans, but as per usual, gets ready for bed whilst he complains. Ushijima retires to his own bed, glancing over his new terrarium one last time with a hint of a smile before he falls asleep.

He awakes the next morning after a solid sleep, not even _moved_ from the position he fell asleep in. The first thing he does is frown.

 

“... Tendou, did you vandalise my terrarium?”

 

“What?” The sleepy mumble from the other side of the room shows Tendou is barely awake, probably just scrolling through his phone, trying to psych himself into getting up.

 

“Did you vandalise my terrarium?”

 

“No. I was _asleep_.”

 

“... Hm.” Sitting up, Ushijima rubs at his eyes. The glass that he cleaned until it was pristine yesterday is all smudged again, dirt rubbed around the inside, and he notices with a plummeting heart that some of the plants have been uprooted. 

 

“I don’t understand… Plants can’t uproot themselves, and I’m sure I didn’t knock it in my sleep.”

 

“M’be it’s cursed.” Ushijima knows it’s just a joke, but he puts a hand on his chin as he thinks things over.

 

“That explains the cheap price, shabby appearance, and why I felt drawn to it… Do you really think it’s cursed?” Tendou snorts, finally rolling out of bed to get his volleyball kit ready.

 

“No way. That’s just in stories, ‘Toshi. Besides, if you don’t want it, you can always take it back.” He feel like this poor, neglected terrarium has been taken back many times. He can tell, from the way it has most definitely been treated before, then left to gather dust.

 

“... No. I’ll just keep an eye on it.” 

 

For the next few days, Ushijima always wakes up to find the terrarium in a state of disarray, the glass stained from the inside and plants uprooted. Only a few near the edge have never been touched, and Ushijima wonders if it’s something to do with proximity to the tiny ceramic pot on its side.

He’s had the terrarium over a week when he finally decides to take a closer look at the smudges. If he can figure out what they are - like baby snail trails, or moisture collecting in tiny fractures - he can work out how best to approach the situation.

So he enlists Tendou to burrow a magnifying glass from the science rooms.

Not stealing, because he’ll place it back during his lesson tomorrow. Just burrowing. Once practice is over, he and Tendou return to the dorms, and he uses the magnifying glass on the terrarium. 

 

“... Tendou, I think I require a second opinion.”

 

“Huh? From me? I ain’t the green thumb type.” Still, Ushijima waves him over.

 

“Just look at this for a moment. Does that look like _fingerprints_ to you?”

 

“What?!” Intrigued, Tendou stumbles over to Ushijima’s side and takes the offered magnifying glass, peering intently at the smudge. He blinks, lowering the magnifying glass slowly. He’s silent for a full 30 seconds.

 

“Okay, as much as I like _watching_ horror stuff, that thing has got to go.”

 

“Tendou?”

 

“Nope. No. No way. Get _rid of it_ , ‘Toshi, those are tiny fingerprints. There’s something _**living**_ in there!! What if it’s been feeding off our blood in the middle of the night? What if it’s cursing us?!”

 

“I… Highly doubt that is the case. The fingerprints are all on the inside. Whatever it is seems to only rage against a few of these plants. No matter how many times I replant them.” Tendou grunts, peering over the edge of the terrarium and sticking his hand in to poke at the moist soil.

 

“You gotta send it back.”

 

“I will not.”

 

“I don’t wanna get cursed!”

 

“You won’t. I assure you.”

 

“Tiny. _Fingerprints_!” Ushijima stares blankly at Tendou until he throws his hands up in frustration, ambling over to his side of the room.

 

“Fine! Fine. Keep it, but keep it _away_ from me.” 

 

And he does. Another week passes, and Ushijima finds that the plants are left alone if he plants them around the outside edge of the terrarium, rather than up against the tiny pot. He’s curious, really. What is it about the half-buried pot that means all the plants around it are destroyed?

The fingerprints are getting higher too, and slightly larger. It’s almost as if, the more he treats the terrarium properly and helps it grow, whatever is leaving the fingerprints is growing too. He’s not too bothered, as long as he doesn’t find the fingerprints outside.

And one night, a miracle happens.

Ushijima isn’t sure why - maybe because Tendou’s snoring abnormally loud - but he wakes up early. Really early. 2am in the morning early. He raises a hand to swipe down his face, and then stops. 

There’s movement. There’s movement _in_ the terrarium. Slowly, he sits up, leaning over and peering in, squinting in the darkness. Through a bundle of moss, he spots a small figure tugging at a starfish plant that Ushijima must have accidentally put too close to the pot.

He watches, as the figure plucks it out and huffs, puffing out tiny cheeks and throwing it as far as it can. It isn’t far at all, considering how tiny it is. Ushijima notes that it’s dressed in a leaf, tiny torn strands from a fern stitching together different leaves so it fits like a dress, or toga.

 

“Hello…?” His quiet whisper has the tiny figure jumping around and squeaking in fear, falling over backwards and scrambling into the dense shrubbery around the edges of the terrarium. Ushijima can still spot curious eyes peering out at him, from beneath a black fringe.

 

“Your hair looks very much like my friend’s when he was young…” Sure enough, the tiny humanoid creature has a bowl cut. He edges closer, inquisitive, and when Ushijima gives him a rare, large smile, the creature trills in awe and wobbles closer, eyes sparkling, pressing up against the glass with a grin of its own, making tiny noises.

 

“Ah, you’re not shy at all, are you~?” He watches as the tiny human - because it doesn’t seem to be anything _but_ human - babbles on and on, squeaks and chirrups paired with sound effects and large movements, as if it’s telling a story.

 

“Urg… ‘Toshi, it’s like… A time before I exist… Can you stop squeaking?” The tiny human hiccups at the voice, stumbling as it runs up to the pot, squeezing in. It barely fits… Ushijima reckons that must be its home, though the TLC he’s given the terrarium has caused the creature to grow too large for it.

 

“Sorry, sorry. That’s just Tendou, he’s not that scary. Most times.”

 

“Uh? ‘Toshi?” A small head pokes out, and Ushijima holds a finger out to press against the glass. He can hear Tendou wrestling himself out of bed to come over, and hopes that the tiny human makes a reappearance so he can make introductions.

Sure enough, the little one comes back over to him, stares at Ushijima’s finger pressing against the glass, and then slaps both hand enthusiastically against it, giggling with glee as it hops from foot to foot, keeping its hands on the glass.

 

“Well I never.” Tendou peers at them, blinking his eyes like he’s still in a dream. He leers closer, so close that his breath fogs up the glass. The tiny creature chirrups in his direction, then rushes back over to the starfish plant. He grabs it by the top, dragging it towards… Well, where Ushijima expects he wants it.

 

“Hard little worker, isn’t he?” 

 

“Hard worker… Tsutomu.” Tendou raises an eyebrow in Ushijima’s direction.

 

“Yer gonna name him?”

 

“I cannot keep calling it ‘creature’. Tsutomu… Suits it~.”

 

“... You’ve adopted a terrarium child.” Ushijima snorts in amusement, watching as Tsutomu attempts to dig into the ground, trying to plant the starfish. He’s doing a shabby job, but he looks so proud, gleaming back up at them, that Ushijima can’t help but smile encouragingly and nod in praise.

 

“Yes, I suppose I have~.”

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if it's terrible, I only had 5 hours total to write!
> 
> Please Kudos/Comment!!!!  
> Please?  
> Pretty please?  
> With a cherry on top?


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